Ecclesiastical equipment



Sept. 25,1945. Y N. v. cAssoN 2,385,507

7 ECCLESIASTICAL EQUIPMENT I Filed April 11, 1944 'INVENTOR.

NICHOLAS v. CASSON ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 25, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ECCLESIASTICAL EQUIPMENT Nicholas V. Casson, New York, N. Y.

Application April 11, 1944, Serial No. 530,508

2 Claims.

This invention relates to ecclesiastical equipment.

More specifically, the invention pertains to furniture and apparatus for facilitating the administration of the Sacrament of Penance of the Catholic Church.

Such furniture ordinarily provides the necessary physical equipment to facilitate the administration of this sacrament, and is generally referred to as the confessional. Herein the penitent confesses his sins to, or asks advice on matters of conscience from; the priest, who then spiritually advises the penitent as he thinks necessary, states the penance to be performed by the penitent as soon as the latter can later conveniently do so, and; subject to the right disposition of the penitent in thereupon reciting WI .1; is called the Act of Contrition, this last including a promise to amend his life, the priest himself recites the words of absolution.

As is well known, a priest, even at the cost of his life, must not break the seal of the confessional; that is, he must not divulge to another anything stated to him by the penitent. This obligation is also on any lay person who happens to overhea any part of the confession of another.

Consequently, for manycenturies, the church has provided an article of furniture, as such also by custom called the confessional, compartmented to provide a cubicle in which the priest is seated at the times announced for confession, and an adjoining cubicle for the penitent and in which he kneels -as soon as he enters and remains kneeling until, his talk with the priest having ended, he leaves. In the wall separating these two cubicles is a wicket or window, normally closed but epenable by the priest, usually by means of an up-and-down or horizontally slidable panel. A prie-dieu or knee-rest for the penitent is below the wicket, near the floor; and an arm-rest is at the wicket just below the same. A door or curtain offers ingress to and egress from the penitents cubicle, and a similar openable and closable element, generally a door, is provided for the priests cubicle.

In'order that one confession may follow another as rapidly as possible, however long any confession may be (and they are sometimes quite prolonged, either because of the matters having to be confessed, or'the rationalistic argumentations of the penitent, or the need felt by the priest to straighten out perplexities of the penitentand very often that spiritual ailment known theologically as scruples) t'Wo penitents cubicles are provided, one on each side of the central cubicle for the priest. There is one of the aforesaid sets of wicket and slidable panel in each side wall of the priests cubicle. The custom is fOr those desiring to go to confession, as the ordinary statement is, to seat themselves or stand in line adjacent to the confessional; and one after another to enter into one penitents cubicle or the other as soon as there is a vacating of either by the penitent then occupying the same.

In practically all cases, as will be understood from what has been said, a person just entering a penitents cubicle must wait some time before the Wicket facing him is opened; as the priest, having just heard the confession of the previous penitent in the cubicle last-mentioned, is now hearing the confession of the person in the opposite cubicle. Consequently, the Wicket last-men tioned is now closed; but, of course, the wicket facing the person who is now'at confession is open. As has been said, often considerable time passes before the wicket facing the person awaiting confession is opened, signifying by the sound of its opening that the priest, invisible through the grille permanently in place in the wicket frame, and which grille also makes the penitent invisible to the priest, is ready to begin hearing the confession. This waiting time for each penitent is usually spent by him in meditation or prayer. However, the use of a religious book or pamphlet for such a purpo e is now imposs due to the complete darkness of all interior portions of the confessional.

Due to the conditions above mentioned, especially at many times during the hours set for confessions when penitents are not waiting outside the confessional in large enough numbers to form waiting lines, and also in those cases where persons next in turn to enter the confessional have failed, because deep in prayer or meditation, to note the vacating of a penitents cubicle, it is difiicult to decide whether a particular cubicle is vacant or not. The time ofthe priest and those waiting to make confessions should not be Wasted by having the priest open the wicket to an empty penitents cubicle. On the other hand, it is not only embarrassing, but might amount to unintentional eavesdropping, for a Waiting penitent, believing a penitents cubicle to be empty, when it is not, to open the door or curtain and prepare to enter, thereby perhaps to illuminate the lineaments of the peniten-t then at confession, and, in some cases, stumble over the feet or legs of the latter as he is in a kneeling position in the cubicle.

The present invention has for its chief object to providea novel and improyed confessional and apparatus to'insure against any and all of the difiiculties and disadvantages above outlined.

According to the present invention, the kneerest is so constructed and served by the apparatus of the invention that when a penitents cubicle is empty, one type of signal displayed at the exterior of the confessional is given, and when said cubicle is occupied a different signal is given.

Also according to the invention, as it is preferably carried out, each penitents'cubicle is interiorly illuminated, preferably dimly, but Sui-- ficiently to render immediately discernible the location of the knee-rest, to make fairly clearly visible the crucifix usually hung somewhere on a wall of the cubicle, and to give a sufiiciently luminous reading light, preferably-by placement of the source of illumination in a location such that this placement rather thanthe diffusive intensity of the light will allow a devotional book or pamphlet to be read without eyestrain, while waiting'for the wicketito beopened.

Further according to the inventiomzto avoid unnecessary expense for lighting :current,- 1 but principally toplace'the penitents cubiclezin comfpletedarkness as' soon as hiswicketis opened, a means is provided whereby,:-incidentalto-openingof that wicket, or,rather,-."incidental to* the first movement of .thezpriests hand effective ato start opening of the wicket; theiinterior;illumination of the penitents cubicle is'extingu sh'ed,

thereby to make sure that .thepriest will 'notxunintentionally visuallyrecognize just who isthe penitent.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention willxbe hereinafterpointed out or. be-

' come apparent' in the 1 course of the rfollowing ing the wicket in opened rand'closed con'dition's,

and an electrical switch.

Fig- 5 is a schematic viewg-showi-ng various electric circuit portions-and; diagrammatically, certain .of the parts 'also shown in :Figsfil throughL.

Referring now -to the =drawing: in detail,: and particularly to Fig. l, the confessionalisindicated generally at 9, as having; as usualpa bulb .10 ordinarily lighted "to" signify a priest" is .in' ithe cubicle hear-ing confessions; a the confessional isa priests cubicle l L lla-V ing a 'door lfi-and'housing'a bench or chair 12 on which the priest may be "seated, and :a pair of penitents cubicles "Wand-l5; i 7

In? Fig. i 1 falso, closingcurtains; I land-r! 8 for the-cubicles M and iii and"kneeerests '20 and arm=rests"!9, are'shown.

The parts sofar described'areiall conventional. However, abovethe entrance to each pen tents cubicle there will'be notedan electric-"light bulb 2| or 2IA, these inthe present casefbeing the signalsaforesaidyas:now'favored.

' The means for" as aforesaid intermittently and automatically illuminating the interior of each cubicle l4 and [5 are indicated in Fig. 1 as lampshade-type casings Z2 and 23 carried at their tops below the arm-rests l9, l9; the source of illumination in each casing 22 or 23 being an electric light bulb therein, these indicated at 24, 24.

Also indicated in Fig. l are the wickets, marked respectively 25 and'Z'S.

In Figs. 2 and 3, the parts just mentioned are shown in better detailythis showing being of a part of the interior of the penitents cubicle M.

The knee-rest 20 instead of being built in solid or immovable as usual, is hingedly mounted as at 21, 21. Desirably, such hinges are of the loosepin type, so'that the pins or pintles can be readily removedand the knee-rest easily demounted for inspection, adjustment or repair of the elements neXt to be described.

At-the-front or swingable bottom portion of the knee-rest it is shown as provided with rubher or equivalent cushioning feet Orstops -28, for easy and noiseless drop of the knee-rest frfom say the position indicated at"20 to the 'ffloorF of the cubicle I4 whenthe'penitentby kneelin on the knee-rest frees the weight'ofhis body -to depress the knee-rest against the meansifor normally maintaining the, knee=rest somewhaLtelevated at its front end. This means is'here shown as a pair of expans'ile coil-springs 29"positioned to act while held in place in suitable retainers'on the bottom of the knee-rest, these retainers being cup-shaped as indicated at 2 9; a

A normally open switch 39, shown as ofthe common push-buttontype; is' then closed,:substantially immediately after a peniten't entersa penitents cubicle, and as soon 'as'he leaves such a cubicle said switch has already a-second before been opened.

Referring to Fig.4, where the wicket 25-"o'f the cubicle i4 is again shown; and covered as usual 'by a "sight obs'tructing screen for gri1l'e-'--3 I a horizontally slidable "panel :is indicated :as mounted in guide'tracks 32"on the 'faror priests side'of partitionwall33;

This panel is byimeans :of. "a ithumb-kn'obfi i moveable by the :priest'so as to closezthe" wicket Z5, orto the position indicated at"25"r toiopen the wicket. The wicket is also shown in'.-=Fig'. li-ca-rryingz-a nose-extension 35; the functionof 'wl'iichis :to close a normally open 'switch36- when the'wicket is closed, but tofreesaid switch for spring=urged opening at the first 'start or an opening 'eofithe wicket by panel movement.

The light bulb :23 is in'series'with said-switch,

as is the bulb 2 1 witha similar SWitCh3UA in'the other cubicle I5 of the two penitentscubic'les; I

Referring finally to Fig. 5, the"-panel-32 is shown as having: been slid'from its open position 32' to closed position in the cubicle-l ljwhi-le the corresponding 'pane1'f32i l for the cubicle [5 is shown as having beenslid' from-its'tclosed-position 32A to its open position; Thereforejthe switch 36 is now-closed, andthe corresponding switch for the other cubicle l5 isopen this last switch being marked 36A. At'the same time; if'

there is a penitent ineither or both-of thecubi- .cles -14 andl5, either or both knee-rest'siflyZB fuse a -6-volt step-down transformer, an'd 'a hand-switch. From this transformen conduc tors Hand 42 lead to the switchesz3flaandz30A;

each of which when closed places the appropriate bulb 2| or ZIA in a closed circuit. Branches 43 and 44 from the conductors M and 42, respectively, lead to the switches 36 and 36A, each of which when opened breaks the normal current flow to the appropriate bulb 23 or 24.

It is to be understood that all matter contained in the above specification and shown in the accompanying drawing is to be taken in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The scope of protection contemplated is to be taken solely from the appended claims, these to be interpreted as broadly as is consistent with the prior art if any.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without the others.

I claim:

1. In a confessional including a cubicle for the penitent, said cubicle having a floor, a doorway into said cubicle, and a means for closing said doorway to afford privacy to a penitent in the cubicle, the combination therewith of a hingedly mounted kneeling rest in said cubicle on which the weight of the penitents body will bear during that part of his stay in the cubicle while what is known as the sacrament of penance is being conducted; an electric signal on the exterior of the cubicle; means for yieldingly elevating a portion of said kneeling rest; an actuator for the signal comprising a normally open electric switch wholly carried by one of said floor and kneeling rest and arranged to be closed when said yielding means is overcome by aid weight, whereby said actuator is operative to maintain the signal operative all the while said yielding means is thus overcome; and means for arranging said kneeling rest to have a, field of swing so located that any normal use of the cubicle by all persons insures operation of the signal, the

means last-mentioned comprising a placement of the pintle of such hinge at the low height above said floor characteristic of the ordinary kneeling rest, whereby on normal use of the cubicle said signal will be operative all the while, but only while, a person is kneeling on said kneeling rest, and consequently all the while said sacrament is being conducted.

2. In a confessional including a cubicle for the penitent, said cubicle having a floor, a doorway into said cubicle, and a means for closing said doorway to afiord privacy to a penitent in the cubicle, the combination therewith of a movably mounted support in said cubicle above said floor and arranged to serve as a kneeling rest on which the weight of the penitents body will bear during that part of his stay in the cubicle while he is kneeling and so while what is known as the sacrament of penance is being conducted; an electric signal on the exterior of the cubicle; means for yieldingly elevating such kneeling rest; an actuator for the signal comprising a normally open electric switch below said kneeling rest and arranged to be closed by movement of said kneeling rest when said yielding means is overcome by said weight, whereby said actuator is operative to maintain the signal operative all the while said yielding means is so overcome; and means for arranging said kneeling rest to have a field of movement so located that any normal use of .the cubicle by any. person insures operation of the signal, the means last-mentioned comprising a means for supporting said kneeling rest above said floor and restricting said field to the low height above said floor characteristic of the ordinary kneeling rest, whereby on any normal use of the cubicle said signal will be operative all the while, but only while, a person is kneeling on said kneeling rest, and consequently all the while said sacrament is being conducted.

NICHOLAS V. CASSON. 

